The global COVID-19 pandemic forced South Carolina public schools to abruptly close for the last nine weeks of the 2019-2020 school year. The entire education system, including teachers and administrators at every level, quickly pivoted over a weekend towards remote learning. Necessary changes were implemented to ensure that children would continue to receive instruction even […]
Continue ReadingStories
eLearning Resources for SC School Districts
During this time of uncertainty, the EOC has been working to provide assistance to school districts as they implement emergency eLearning due to school closures. During the last two years, the EOC has worked with 15 SC school districts who have piloted eLearning for inclement weather closures. While this time is stressful and chaotic, this […]
Continue ReadingSupport for Families Helping Students Learn at Home
Updated April 13, 2020 Families and caregivers are working through COVID19 with creativity as they help young people learn at home. Fortunately, many resources exist to help families who are working to help their children learn while they stay healthy at home. The EOC has put together a list of assistance and resources available to adults who […]
Continue ReadingRecent SC Graduate asks “where is the outrage?”
by Dana Yow Wesley Wilson is a busy young man. As a veteran now studying full-time at the Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Wesley is highly involved with the veteran community. Wesley was the President of the Fordham Veterans Association, before he graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational […]
Continue ReadingGeography: Educating SC Students for the World
“The Profile of the SC Graduate demands that we provide world-class knowledge, world-class skills, and a global perspective to our students. We cannot, however, prepare our students for the world if they do not learn about that world.” Dr. Jerry Mitchell
Continue ReadingWhy SC’s failing education system is no accident of history
In November 2018, the Charleston Post and Courier posted an investigative series spotlighting the disparities among South Carolina’s schools and persistent failures to improve students’ readiness for college and the workforce.
Continue ReadingHow States Compare in the 2018 Best High Schools Rankings
Why it matters: The U.S. News rankings include data on more than 20,500 public schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. “The gold and silver awards reflect which schools are most successfully preparing students for college, based on students participating in and achieving passing scores on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests.” The state with the highest percentage of high schools earning gold or silver awards was Massachusetts, the state that leads the nation on NAEP and other measures of academic progress. In the 2018 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings, one South Carolina school earned a gold medal and 23 earned silver medals.
Continue ReadingThe jobs are in SC. Where is the workforce?
Why it matters: Companies like Volvo and Mercedes have located to SC, but finding a qualified workforce has been tough-going. In the three-county Charleston metro area, the labor force actually shrank by more than 3,000 people over the past year — to 378,544 — despite more than 10,000 people moving to the area.
Continue Reading